Planning Binders

[Tenuviel]

I know I am in good compnay here, but I am an obsessive planner and need something to occupy me while I anticipate our 2010 trip. I was going to start a planning binder and was wondering if anyone who has done this before has any suggestions on sections/topics to include in this binder. Just trying to get started

Thanks!

 

[GrammyJudy]

I did one for Jan 2009 trip. My sections were
RESERVATIONS
AIRLINE
RESORT( I printed out map etc for POP)
DINING HAd menus and ADR
ITINERARY Hd day by day spread sheet
MISC

 

[danalea10]

There are some great threads in the Disney tips section on planning binders!

 

[Tenuviel]

I did one for Jan 2009 trip. My sections were
RESERVATIONS
AIRLINE
RESORT( I printed out map etc for POP)
DINING HAd menus and ADR
ITINERARY Hd day by day spread sheet
MISC

Thank you!!!

 

[wrighter]

Ours looked quite similar:

Travel (airline reservations, flight info, kids' ID docs, Magical Express material)

Lodging (paper reservation confirmation, map of resort with room requests listed)

Activities (tickets, things we were doing other than the parks, or info for special things like BBB or Pirate Cruise)

Schedule (always tentative - but I had the park hours listed here)

Food (ADRs, Garden Grocer order, restaurant reviews)

Budget (a lined spreadsheet for each day where we could write down what we spent along the way)

 

[#1Disfann]

Another sicko here! LOL I do a binder for every trip too. My tabs are pretty much in the order that things will happen once we depart for the trip:

AIRLINE INFO
RENTAL CAR INFO
DIRECTIONS
RESORT CONFIRMATION
RESORT INFO
MENU'S & ADR's
ITINERARY
TOURING PLANS
SPECIAL EVENTS
PHOTOPASS
GROCERY ORDER
FRIDGE SWAP
NOTES

Everything I need at my fingertips! I love it but DH thinks I'm nuts!

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

Here are a couple of threads already in action for obsessive planners:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2173185

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2115381

You are in good company for sure!

 

[Tenuviel]

Thank you all!!! I am excited to look through those threads!

 

[x.laura.x]

I have just started one for our next trip. as well as what has already been mentioned i also included a list of all those things you hear about and say "oh, thats something we should do" but end up forgetting, and some of the random trivia and hidden things to find. I also enjoyed decorating mine with pictures of all the parks we are visiting =)

 

[dragonye]

add some hidden mickeys great way to pass time in lines

 

[MouseEarsJenny]

My binder has sections for:

Resort Confirmations - A list of confirmation numbers (we have more than one room) and printed confirmation letters.

Dining Reservations - A list of ADR confirmation numbers and times

Itineraries and Hours - Park Hours, Entertainment Times, and our Daily Schedules (Yes, we're ride by ride planners, but flexibly - we change it up as needed or desired)

Maps - Google Maps (In this case to Lorton, VA to get on the autotrain. This could also be an airline section, and we've made it a "Road Trip" section in the past when we also had hotel confirmations on the way.)

Disney Maps - Park Maps

Tickets and Freebies - All of the vouchers, birthday registrations, and final travel documents.

I also have a pocket in the front for my packing lists and trip budget, and a zipper pouch for Mousekeeping envelopes. I don't add sections like Hidden Mickeys or Park Secrets or whatever, because I don't carry the binder with me in the parks.

Have fun planning!

 

[FigmentChick]

These are some great ideas! I, too, will be visiting the other threads. I just put together a binder for my family, as I needed some organization to the chaos. I have a tab for our calendar (what parks to visit on what days, when our ADRs are, etc.), one for the menus, one for our packing list (which is constantly being updated), and a misc tab.

Thanks again!

 

[exwdwcm]

I know I am in good compnay here, but I am an obsessive planner and need something to occupy me while I anticipate our 2010 trip. I was going to start a planning binder and was wondering if anyone who has done this before has any suggestions on sections/topics to include in this binder. Just trying to get started

Thanks!

We've been planning our trip over 2 years, so i know how you are feeling. We did a monthly family disney newsletter too, in order to have something to get us in the spirit, i can email you a sample of it if you want (i have lots of them from the last year, lol)- we would highlight a restaurant we planned to eat at, provide tips, trivia etc. But it was just for our specific group on our trip (14 of us).

on my binder- i have:
TRANSPORTATION - ME info, rental car (we might rent part time), flight info, disney transportation info

HOTEL/LODGING- WL info

DINING- dining plan info and restaruarnts/menus and planned ADRS

ITENERARY- our planned schedule with disney park hours as well and EMH etc.

TIPS- here i save all the great misc tips i print out or want to remember

MISC- misc info like child id bracelets, special events (MVMCP) etc.

I also then have copies of our old newsletters for reference. As well as all our confirmations from Dreams Unlimited for our packages in there.

Once we had our schedule finalized, we put an abbreviated version on index cards (like what time we plan to leave the hotel each am- a MUST to do/plan with a group of 14 if we want to get anything accomplished!)---and then we laminated and put on a keyring, so everyone had a small schedule on hand in case we split up, which we did quite often. this way everyone knew where hte main group was and what dining ressies we had and what time to be up and ready if they planned to join us in the am etc. It worked great for us- a little overboard, maybe, but fun and helped us stay organized and get a LOT done.

 

[Fairyntraining]

Planning is part of the fun for me, so here goes...

Reservations
Resort
Resort Map
Park Maps
Restaurant guides (made my own)
Park Hours
-EMH included
Special Event Maps-if required
Packing list - one page per family
Carry-on list
Special Events/Appointments

I make spreadsheets including all of the above information. Sorted according to day, including all reservations, etc. and then make it small enough to fit in my bag. I take it with me and refer to it during the trip. This way we don't forget ADR's but if we choose to make a change, we can call and cancel so that they know not to expect us.

 

[Disney Dork in DFW]

My wife needs to see this forum. We are going in four short weeks for our first anniversary trip, and I have been planning EVERYTHING! Though my wife is a lover of all things Disney as I am, she is not the planner I am. I have a day-by-day itinerary with to-the-minute touring plans, ADR's, confirmation numbers and an extensive packing and departure checklist. I am going to have everything in a folder, divided by each day of our travels, ready to accompany us when we go.

As Benjamin Franklin once said, "failing to prepare is preparing to failure."

 

[Princess Brittany]

We always do a binder because it just helps us obssesed planners keep organized. Here are the sections we usual have...

Airline Information- includes ground transportation info such as ME and any other services like limos or rental cars

Resort Reservations

Touring Itinerary and Park Information- park hours, our day by day schedule, TGM least crowded park schedules and EMH list of rides

ADRs

Personal Information- list of doctors phone numbers, information of dog boarding, and any personal rentals such as EVC reservations

That is basically how our binder goes or least how it went this year.

 

[Tenuviel]

We've been planning our trip over 2 years, so i know how you are feeling. We did a monthly family disney newsletter too, in order to have something to get us in the spirit, i can email you a sample of it if you want (i have lots of them from the last year, lol)- we would highlight a restaurant we planned to eat at, provide tips, trivia etc. But it was just for our specific group on our trip (14 of us).

on my binder- i have:
TRANSPORTATION - ME info, rental car (we might rent part time), flight info, disney transportation info

HOTEL/LODGING- WL info

DINING- dining plan info and restaruarnts/menus and planned ADRS

ITENERARY- our planned schedule with disney park hours as well and EMH etc.

TIPS- here i save all the great misc tips i print out or want to remember

MISC- misc info like child id bracelets, special events (MVMCP) etc.

I also then have copies of our old newsletters for reference. As well as all our confirmations from Dreams Unlimited for our packages in there.

Once we had our schedule finalized, we put an abbreviated version on index cards (like what time we plan to leave the hotel each am- a MUST to do/plan with a group of 14 if we want to get anything accomplished!)---and then we laminated and put on a keyring, so everyone had a small schedule on hand in case we split up, which we did quite often. this way everyone knew where hte main group was and what dining ressies we had and what time to be up and ready if they planned to join us in the am etc. It worked great for us- a little overboard, maybe, but fun and helped us stay organized and get a LOT done.

I would love a sample newsletter emailed!!!! We have nine people for sure and four more maybes- that would be a blast! kimmi@spu.edu Thanks!

 

[mom2taylorandemily]

I did one for Jan 2009 trip. My sections were
RESERVATIONS
AIRLINE
RESORT( I printed out map etc for POP)
DINING HAd menus and ADR
ITINERARY Hd day by day spread sheet
MISC

Mine is almost identical except that I added park maps to my itenerary section, my Misc. section has photopass infor and my sheet for DDs birthday pass info.

 

[flipflopmom]

What helped me a lot was to start a page for each park and I copy and pasted tips I read on here. I have a transportation in the parks page, a packing list, and a random tips page. I just waited until last week to organize them all into cohesive documents.

 

[Pixieflip]

Oh, my goodness!!! MY PEEPS!! YOU'RE HERE!!! I am printing our trip binder today! We don't go until December and I'm tired of all the scattered thoughts and plans, so off to the Creative DISign board I went and picked up some wonderful pages.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2114031

No one understands me and my need to plan, well, except maybe you guys! And I don't even plan every minute, I just like to research and have all our options available. Oh, I don't have to explain myself to you, you're just like me!